Chicken sold annually is non-organic
“As much as 20 percent growth within the industry as a percentage of the poultry industry,” said Dean Walston, director of operations for Perdue’s Milford plant, which is just over the county line in Sussex, has been operated by Perdue since 1995.
While about 95 percent of chicken sold annually is non-organic, the field is booming, he said. That has led to the expansion of Perdue’s factory and the addition of an organic program, creating a need for additional jobs.
And Perdue’s operation is big. In fact, according to Mr. Walston, the Milford factory is the largest organic chicken producer in the country.
Organic chicken, Mr. Walston explained, is poultry raised in an environment absent herbicides, pesticides or other chemicals. Not only can the compounds not be used on the organic items — be they meat or vegetables — they must be kept out of the area for three years before certification can be awarded. Certification is given out by several agencies based on standards developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It’s a “pretty lengthy and pretty in-depth process,” Mr. Walston said.
Chickens to be marketed as organically raised are fed only organic foods, such as corn and soy. The birds turned into meat by Perdue mostly come from out of state — specifically, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Two Delaware farms in Kent County currently do provide organic poultry, and Mr. Walston said he believes about four to six more will be certified by summer.